Garlic Grilled Chicken

The Recipe

•  
•  Serves 4 - 6
•  Prep time: 4 hr
•  Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup kosher salt plus 3/4 teaspoons divided
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 10 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup avocado (or canola) oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 8 - 10 chicken drumsticks

Instructions:

1. Combine 1 quart water, 1/2 cup kosher salt and brown sugar together in a pot. Heat over medium heat just until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour in remaining quart of cold water. Add in lemon, garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon granulated garlic and whole peppercorns. Allow to cool to room temperature. 
2. Place chicken in a one gallon resealable plastic bag. Place bag inside a large bowl. 
3. Pour brine over the top of chicken, seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but not more than 4. 
4. Prepare grill for indirect heat and heat to 425 degrees. 
5. Rinse and pat dry the chicken. 
6. Combine avocado oil, remaining salt, granulated garlic and black pepper. Use a pastry brush and brush all over chicken. 
7. Cook chicken skin side down, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat down to 350. Continue cooking chicken for 10 minutes or until it easily releases from the grill. Flip and continue cooking for another 10 - 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted reads 165 degrees and the juices run clear. Serve.

Enjoy!

Ultimate Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

1 lb lump crabmeat (picked over)
1 cup fresh breadcrumb
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten slightly
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons parsley, fresh chopped
2 teaspoons onions, minced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon flour, sifted for dusting
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter for frying)
cooking spray


Directions:

1.Put crab meat in a large bowl and cover with bread crumbs and moisten with milk.
2.Combine beaten egg with the mayonnaise in a separate bowl. Add baking powder, parsley, onion, salt, and pepper.

3.Pour this mixture over crab/crumb/milk mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Dust cakes lightly with flour.
4.After one hour, form crab into cakes, not over mixing or over forming. Put each crab cake on wax-paper – (putting wax paper on top too) and let sit until ready to fry up. Let sit again, at least one hour, this makes the cake easier to hold together during the cooking process.

5.Spray cooking spray on bottom of pan, (either stainless steel, or non-stick),.
6.Heat butter or oil until hot. (Shimmering) Fry crab cakes approximately 4 minutes per side, carefully, flipping over and frying for another 4-5 minutes until browned.

7.Drain on paper towel and serve.


Makes 10 Servings

154 calories, 6.6 g fat, 55.5 mg cholesterol, 438 mg sodium,
10 g carbs, 0.5 g fiber, 12.5 g protein

Easy, Crock-Pot Barbecue Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts (1½ pounds total) boneless, skinless

3 cups onions, chopped

1 (18 oz) bottle of barbecue sauce, I like Sweet Baby Ray’s original, Bull’s-eye original or use your favorite

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Place onions in a microwave safe bowl and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes to soften.

2. Add cooked onions to crock-pot. Stir in barbecue sauce, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Add the chicken breasts and submerged into sauce. Cover and cook on high heat 2 hours or on low heat 4 hours.

Makes 6 servings (each serving 1 chicken breast and ¼ cup sauce)

Nutrition Facts

for 1 chicken breast and ¼ cup sauce
231 calories
3g fat
1g sat fat
55mg chol
27g prot
30g carbs
1g fiber
600mg sod
20g sugar

Skinny, Crock-Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds boneless pork tenderloin, see shopping tip
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

• 1. Place pork tenderloin in crock-pot. Sprinkle onions over top and around pork. In a small bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over pork and set timer for crock-pot, 2½-3 hours on High or cook on Low heat for5 ½-6 hours. The cook time varies a bit depending on your crock-pot.
• 2. Once the pork has cooked, remove from crock-pot onto a cutting board. Cut pork into thin slices. Add pork slices to a serving dish. Pour about ½ cup of sauce including onions over pork. You only use half the sauce. Note: the Skinny Facts were calculated using ½ cup of sauce.
• The leftover sauce is great to use mashed into a baked potato or drizzle over leftover chicken or beef, if desired.
• Makes 5 servings, Each serving about 5 ounces sliced pork plus sauce (the pork does shrink a bit when cooked)

Nutrition Facts

for 1 serving
206 calories
5g fat
1.8g sat fat
90mg chol
30g prot
12g carbs
1g fiber
224mg sodium
7g sugar

Crock Pot Rosemary Turkey Breasts, Tender and Juicy

Ingredients

2 turkey breast halves, 2-2½ lb. each (bone-in)

2 teaspoons dried sage or more, if desired

2 teaspoons dried thyme, or more, if desired

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 cups onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

8 springs fresh rosemary

4-6 springs fresh rosemary

Lemon slices

Sugared cranberries, see recipe below

Directions

1. Remove skin from turkey breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Season each breast on both sides with sage, thyme and pepper.

2. Place 1 cup onions and half the garlic on bottom of crock pot. Add seasoned breasts, breast side down. Add remaining onions and garlic on top. Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice over the top.

3. Place the rosemary springs under the breasts and on top of them.

4. Cook on high setting for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low setting and cook for 3-4 more hours until the turkey is completely white inside. You can check if they’re done by using a meat thermometer. It should register 180 degrees. (many crock-pots vary on cooking time, you might need to ajust the cooking time)

5. Remove turkey breast to a craving board. When they’re cool enough to handle, slice the turkey and place on a serving plate. Pour a little of the juice from the crock pot all over the turkey. Garnish the platter with more fresh rosemary springs, lemon slices and sugared cranberries, if desired. (see recipe below for sugared cranberries)

5. Store any leftover turkey in a bowl with some of the juice poured over it.

Makes 6-8 servings (about 4 ounces each serving)

Nutrition Facts

for 1 serving of turkey (about 4 ounces each)
221 calories
1g fat
1g sat fat
44g protein
5g carbs
1g fiber
369mg sodium
1g sugar

SLOW COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP

Ingredients

1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 stalks celery plus leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken broth

Directions

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4 to 5 hours or 8 to 10 hours on low until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.

Nutritional Info

Per Serving:
260 calories (40 from fat)
4g total fat
1g saturated fat
30mg cholesterol
690mg sodium
34g carbohydrates
13 g dietary fiber
6g sugar
23g protein

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Ingredients

• 2lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• 2 packet Ranch Dressing Mix (I used Mrs Dash no salt seasoning Ranch packets)
• 2 packet Taco Seasoning (I used Mrs Dash no salt seasoning Ranch packets)
• 1 32 oz. box (low sodium) Swanson Chicken Broth
• 14.5 oz. can Tomato Sauce (low sodium)
• 2 – 14.5 oz cans Diced Tomatoes with Chiles
• 14.5 oz can Black Beans (low sodium)
• 1 can Corn (low sodium)

Instructions

1. Saute onions for 2 minutes.
2. Add ground beef and brown the meat.
3. Drain browned ground beef to remove excess fat.
4. Add ground beef mixture and all other ingredients (do not drain corn or black beans) to slow cooker.
5. Cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 6 hours.
6. Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Notes

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 12 Calories: 196 Saturated fat: 3.14 Carbohydrates: 11.8 Sugar: 1.17 Fiber: 3.7 Protein: 18.93

Oven Baked Skinny Shredded Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 (18 oz) bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Barbecue sauce or your favorite

6 cups shredded white cabbage, 1 (10 oz) bag

1 cup shredded carrots

¾ cup scallions, chopped

4 tablespoons light mayonnaise, I like Best Foods (Hellman’s) Light

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2½ tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon prepared white horseradish

2 packages Oroweat’s Honey Wheat Sandwich Thins, see shopping tip

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a roasting pan or rectangular Pyrex baking dish. Arrange sliced onions over the chicken, then pour the barbecue sauce over top, reserving 1 cup for later. Cover the baking dish/pan tightly with foil and place in the oven. Cook chicken for 1 hour, remove foil and cook for about 10 minutes longer until chicken is fork tender.

2. In the meantime, prepare the coleslaw-In a large bowl add the cabbage, carrots and scallions. In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients. Refrigerate the coleslaw and dressing separately until ready to serve. Don’t toss until serving to keep coleslaw crisp and crunchy, not soggy.

3. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board. Using two forks, pull the chicken breasts apart to shred the meat. Place the shredded chicken back in the pan, add the reserved 1 cup barbecue sauce and toss the chicken well to thoroughly coat in the sauce that’s remaining in the pan.

4. Serve the pulled chicken warm. Place on the bottom of each sandwich thin ½ cup barbecue shredded chicken. Add onion, ¾ cup slaw and top with sandwich thin.

5. If you have any leftovers, the shredded chicken freezes great. You can use leftover chicken to stuff a baked potato or add to a salad. Plus, this recipe can easily be cut in half!

Makes 12 servings (each serving ½ cup shredded chicken and ¾ cup coleslaw)

Nutrition Facts

for 1 sandwich (each serving ½ cup shredded chicken and ¾ cup coleslaw)
238 calories
4g fat
1g sat fat
37mg chol
22g protein
34g carbs
7g fiber
745mg sodium
8g sugar

Skinny Barbecue Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey breast or ground turkey, see healthy benefits

3 cups chopped onions

1 (18 oz) bottle of barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray’s or Bull’s-eye original)

1 cup (8 ounces) tomato sauce, from a jar or can

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

8 Oroweat Sandwich Thins, warmed or toasted or 8 hamburger buns, I used whole wheat buns

Directions

1. In a large pan or skillet, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat, stirring often to break up the lumps until turkey is browned.

2. If using regular ground turkey, drain cooked turkey into a colander and blot with paper towels. Return drained turkey to pan. If using 99% fat-free turkey breast there isn’t any fat to drain. You can just blot it with paper towels.

3. Place onions in a microwave safe bowl and cook in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes until soft.

4. Add cooked onions to turkey. Stir in barbecue sauce, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Stir a few times while simmering.

6. Spoon the turkey mixture onto each sandwich thin or bun. If you have any leftovers, this mixture freezes great.

Makes 8 sandwiches

Nutrition Facts

for 1 Skinny Sloppy Joe using Oroweat Sandwich Thin
307 calories
2g fat
0g sat fat
35mg chol
21g protein
57g carbs
7g fiber
984mg sodium
24g sugar

Skinny Frozen S’mores

Ingredients

1 full Honey Maid low fat honey graham cracker, see shopping tip

1 tablespoon Kraft Jet-Puffed marshmallow cream, see shopping tip

½ tablespoon Nestle mini semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt (frozen solid), see prep tip and shopping tip

Directions

1. Break one graham cracker in half. Spread one half with 1 tablespoon marshmallow cream and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips on top of cream.

2. Top other half with 2 tablespoons frozen yogurt and place marshmallow side in, on top of yogurt, to create a sandwich. Using a dull knife, wipe the sides clean. By hand, place a few chips on each side.

3. Place on a plate and freezer. Freeze until firm, before serving.

4. If making several at once, keep frozen yogurt or ice cream in freezer and follow step 1 with as many as you desire to make. Next, follow steps 2 and 3.

5. Place each, unwrapped, on a plate in freezer. Once frozen, wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and store in freezer. They’ll keep in freezer for several weeks, if they last that long!

Makes 1 frozen sandwich

Nutrition Facts

for 1 frozen sandwich
150 calories
3g fat
2g protein
29g carbs
1g fiber
124mg sodium
15g sugar

Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound flank steak, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper
4 large slices whole-wheat country bread, cut in half, or 8 small slices
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 cup mixed salad greens

DIRECTIONS

Preheat grill to medium-high.
Place garlic in the center of a piece of foil and drizzle with oil. Gather the foil together at the top to form a sealed packet. Sprinkle both sides of steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Place the garlic packet over indirect heat or the coolest part of the grill. Place the steak and bell peppers over direct heat or the hottest part of the grill. Cook the garlic until soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cook the peppers, turning occasionally, until the skin is blistered on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Cook the steak, turning once, until desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium. Transfer the garlic packet, peppers and steak to a clean platter. Tent the steak with foil to keep warm.
Grill bread, turning once, until toasted, about 1 minute per side.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the stems, seeds and ribs. Slice into wide strips and toss with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Peel the garlic and place it and the oil from the packet in another small bowl. Add mayonnaise and mash with a fork until combined. Slice the steak very thinly.
To assemble sandwiches, spread 1 scant teaspoon of the roasted garlic aïoli on each piece of bread. Divide greens, the sliced steak and grilled peppers among 4 slices of bread; top with the remaining bread.

NUTRITION

Per sandwich:
287 calories
10 g fat
3 g sat
26 g carbohydrates
0 g total sugars
21 g protein
2 g fiber