Slow-Cookin' Pulled Chicken

Headed to Storm King tomorrow and we are packing a picnic! This shredded BBQ chicken is FANTASTIC over salads, piled onto light buns, stuffed inside high-fiber tortillas with cole slaw, or eaten all by itself. Yummmmmm! PER SERVING (1/2 cup): 149 calories, 1g fat, 462 mg sodium, 10g carbs. I chose to do the 8 hour version of this recipe. It shredded on touch. Ridiculous!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, halved
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. brown sugar (not packed)
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients except the chicken in the crock pot. Stir until mixed. Add chicken and coat well with the sauce.

Cover and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours OR on low for 7 - 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.

Remove all the chicken and place it in a bowl. Shred each piece using two forks -- one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot, and mix well with the sauce.

If you're serving a group, keep the crock pot on its lowest setting, so the chicken stays warm. If you like, season to taste with red pepper flakes. Eat up!

MAKES 7 SERVINGS

Shrimp over Cumin Scented Beans

This dish was really easy and super satisfying. I thought the beans would be really spicy but they weren't that spicy at all. I paired my dish with store bought Mediterranean Couscous. 

Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1 small jalapeño pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced (or to taste)*
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced (or to taste)
15 oz canned kidney beans, undrained
1/4 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
1/4 tsp dried oregano, or to taste
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1 pound(s) uncooked shrimp, large, peeled, deveined
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp paprika, hot variety
2 Tbsp chives, minced

Instructions
Coat a small pot with cooking spray. Add jalapeño and garlic; sauté over medium heat, 2 minutes. Add beans, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper; cook over low heat, stirring frequently, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place shrimp in a bowl with lime juice and paprika; toss to coat. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray; arrange shrimp on pan. Place 4 inches under broiler and broil 3 to 4 minutes. Turn shrimp over and broil until cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Spoon beans into a serving bowl; top with shrimp and sprinkle with chives. Yields about 3 1/2 ounces shrimp and a scant 1/2 cup beans per serving. 5 points per serving. (11 with couscous).

Curry Chicken

This is a WW recipe I found online. I found one online but I doctored some of the proportions. Below is the recipe. 6 points per serving, yo! I served mine with brown rice and roasted cauliflower with turmeric. 

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash ground red pepper
1 1/2 lbs chicken parts, skinned
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped tomato

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. In bowl, combine yogurt and seasonings; add chicken parts, turning to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. In 12 inch skillet heat oil; add onion and saute until lightly browned.
3. Add tomatoes and bay leaf and let simmer for 5 minutes; add chicken and marinade mixture and stir to combine.
4. Bring mixture to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer, turning once to twice, until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes; remove bay leaf before serving.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

I was on a pizza kick this week, decided to make this pleaser too. 

Ingredients

1 frozen pizza dough (I used Fresh Direct's brand)
1/2 cup refrigerated basil pesto
2 cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
1/4 c cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 c baby spinach, washed
Fresh basil leaves, if desired

Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F for dark or nonstick pan (425 degrees F for all other pans). Spray 15x10-inch pan with sides with cooking spray. Unroll dough in pan; starting at center, press dough into 15x10-inch rectangle. Bake about 8 minutes or until light brown. Spread pesto to within 1/2 inch of edges of crust. Top with spinach, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, the chicken and tomatoes; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until edges of crust are golden brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil. Serve.

Watermelon, Mâche, and Pecan Salad

It's spring time! You know what that means? Time for some spring salads! This one I found online and decided to make because it seemed different and I had purchased the gorgonzola for another recipe anyway - I was half way there! I enjoyed the peppery aftertaste with the sweetness of the watermelon and the nuttiness of the pecans really heightened the dish. Note: I almost burned the crap out of my pecans. Toast with caution folks!

Ingredients
3/4 cup chopped pecans
5 cups seeded and cubed watermelon
1 (6-oz.) package mâche, thoroughly washed (I didn't have mâche, so I used bib lettuce -which according to the interwebs is an acceptable substitute...that or watercress.)
Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette (see below)
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.
2. Combine watermelon and mâche in a large bowl; add vinaigrette, tossing gently to coat. Transfer watermelon mixture to a serving platter, and sprinkle evenly with pecans and cheese.

Ingredients
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup pepper jelly
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated onion (I used shallots instead)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation
1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until blended.

Ina Garten's Hummus

I love hummus but I've never made it myself...until now. This was super easy to make and tastes so much better homemade. With fresh veggies and bread, this is the perfect spring lunch! To my WW peeps: 1/4 c of hummus is 4 points. 

Ingredients
4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce

For the bread:
1 roll of pizza rough
2 teaspoons EVOO
1 tbsp truffle salt

Directions for hummus:
Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Directions for bread:
Preheat oven to 450. Roll the pizza dough out and drizzle with EVOO. Use a brush to spread the EVOO evenly. Sprinkle with truffle salt. Let bake for 15/20 minutes. Cool and cut into strips. Serve with hummus!

Sauteed Shrimp with Penne and Roasted Asparagus

These Patagonia shrimp reminded me of Icelandic lobsters! I ordered these off Fresh Direct and prepped them simply with a saute of mainly onion and garlic. The penne and roasted asparagus made it a meal. 12 points total.

Ingredients
2 cups Whole Wheat Penne
1 bunch asparagus, washed and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound jumbo shrimp (I used Wild Patagonia Shrimp)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 shallots, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 2 cups of penne. Heat oven to 400. Take cut up asparagus pieces and coat in 1 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20 minutes. Spray a pan with cooking spray and put on medium heat and garlic and shallots. Cook and stir for 1 minute until soft. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth, give it a stir and let it cook down for 1 minute to thicken slightly. Put the shrimp in the pan and coat in the lemon sauce. Add pasta, asparagus and remaining EVOO and give it a good stir. Let sit one more minute to marry the flavors. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.