Asian-Style Ramen Noodle Coleslaw

My mother-in-law makes this very yummy Asian-style substitute for traditional coleslaw. It omits the mayo and instead substitutes oil. In my heart-of-hearts I would like to believe that this version is much healthier, when in fact, I know better. This recipe can fetch up to 548 calories per serving, leaving me on a mission to health it up a bit.

I had been wanting this recipe for quite some time. I am not a fan of mayo in anything (I often substitute non-fat sour cream for dishes like chicken salad or potato salad), so I decided that this recipe was right up my alley. I found a few recipes online, compared them, and they were pretty much the same.

The recipe calls for oil so naturally I used olive oil. Olive oil is good for you, but like most things, only in small portions. The oil coated the slaw very lightly, which made me feel less guilty. The recipe called for the whole seasonings packet that comes with the Ramen Noodles. Knowing this is LOADED with sodium, which retains water, I only used about 1/4 of the packet. I also omitted the salt because I felt like it would be salty enough with the Ramen packet. Probably one of the biggest changes I made to this recipe is the fact that I used honey instead of a 1/4 cup of sugar, and I only used about 2 tablespoons, if that. Everything else in the recipe is the same, except I did not have any sesame seeds on hand.

After I mixed up my slaw and took a bite I was so happy that I altered the recipe. I felt that I was left with a great flavor, and I did not feel that I sacrificed calories for flavor at all. The next time I make this recipe (which will be soon as I have a lot of slaw left) I will try to put together a seasonings packet on my own that will allow me to cut even more sodium out of the recipe. Tonight I am going to serve this with hamburgers.

Salad
4 green onions, chopped (use less or more desired on taste)
1 (6 oz) bag of cole slaw mix
3 TBSP toasted sesame seeds
1 cup toasted almonds
1 packet Ramen Noodles, broken into small pieces

Dressing
1/4 cup oil
3 TBSP white vinegar
2 TBSP honey
1/2 TSP pepper
Seasoning packet (reserved from Ramen)

Mix salad ingredients in a a large bowl, remembering to crumble the Ramen first.
Mix dressing ingredients in separate bowls.
Pour dressing over salad mixture and refrigerate for a couple hours for best results.

Skinny Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken

As you might have read before, I am a FOOL for my crock pot. Seriously. I. Love. It. I actually wish I had two, but I guess I should be thankful I have one, right? I made this recipe the other night from a recipe I found via Pinterest.com, a website I have recently found and am highly addicted to. I am quite sure that a coke habit would be cheaper.

Anyways, recently while vacationing in Hilton Head, I found myself in the a shop called Oilerie. It is an awesome little shop where you can sample various kinds of olive oils and seasonings before buying. THey also bottle and seal all products while you are there. Though I am a fool for some olive oil, their claim to fame is their balsamic vinegar that is aged for 25 years. It is so sweet you could almost drink it. It doesn't have the bitterness that many of the store-bough balsamic vinegars have. Since I have purchased this I have been looking for recipes that call for balsamic vinegar. You can purchase their products by clicking the link below.
Oilerie

This recipe was super quick to make. I made a few tweaks to the original recipe to accommodate what I had on hand, saving me a trip to the dreaded WalMart. I pulsed the canned tomatoes in the blender just for a few seconds because Bryan nor I like whole tomatoes. I also forfeited the herbs because I simply did not have any on hand. I just used Italian seasonings and extra garlic. I also used pork instead of the chicken because I unthawed it by accident. It actually turned out great and the pork was very tender. I will try chicken next time though.
I found this recipe at:
http://skinnycrockpot.com

4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (or pork, cut thin)
1 large 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (I diced mine)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Pour olive oil in bottom of crock pot. Salt and pepper each chicken breast and place in crock pot. Add onion, garlic, and herbs on top of chicken. Pour vinegar on top and then top with tomatoes.
Cook on high for 4 hours, serve over pasta (I had thin pork cutlets that I cooked on high for 2 hours and then turned to low).

Pork, onions, garlic, seasonings

Add the balsamic

Top with tomatoes

After 2 hours of cooking on high

I served with cheese-filled tortillinis

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I found this amazing recipe for a pizza that crust that has little to no carbs in it! Yes, it is made with cauliflower, BUT if you are trying to be healthy then it's a small price to pay, right?

I have not tried this recipe yet, but I plan on stocking up on cauliflower at Whole Foods tomorrow. I plan to make this pizza plus some cauliflower mashed potatoes this week. I know Bryan will be super stoked to hear this.

I just wanted to go ahead and share the recipe with you all and I plan on posting pictures when I do make it.

I got this recipe from eat-drink-smile.com and you can find the recipe by clicking the link below...
Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have been a lazy cook the past few days and my crock pot hasn't had a break, just a quick path between uses. I prepped tonight's dinner last night by browning my meatballs in a large skillet and chopping my onion. I am all about prepping ahead just to cut out some time the next day. I often prep all my vegetables (cut, chop) the night before and store them in Tupperware containers so that all I have to do the next day is open the containers and toss into the recipe. A little prep goes a long way and makes putting the whole meal together that much easier.

The prep for this meal actually started on Monday night. I mixed 1 lb of meat with 1 cup of bread crumbs and 3 eggs. I used 1/2 cup of store bought bread crumbs that I had toasted for another recipe a week ago and I used 1/2 cup specially made for Italian meatballs that I bought at this little country store. I covered it and put it in the fridge overnight to really let the meat soak up the bread crumbs and eggs.

Last night I browned them in a large skillet and allowed them to cool before I put them back in the fridge. This morning I filled up my crock pot with 2 jars of Bertolli spaghetti sauce (you can use any kind). I will cook it for about 6 hours on low and serve it with spaghetti and salad.

1 LB lean ground beef (I used 85% organic)
3 eggs
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 small onion (optional)
1 green pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to season

In a large mixing bowl combine beef, eggs, bread crumbs, garlic, and salt and pepper. Mix well and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
The next morning roll beef into 1-1 1/2 inch meatballs. Put some olive oil in a large skillet and brown on medium-high heat.
If you do this in the evening you can refrigerate one more night at this point.
Turn large crock pot on low and pour spaghetti sauce and veggies in. If you refrigerated your browned meatballs overnight you want to remove them about 30 minutes before you place them in the pot. If not, they can go right from the browning skillet to the pot.
Cook on low all day and serve with spaghetti and garlic bread (or in my case spaghetti squash and no bread).

Crock Pot Weight Watchers Chili

I made this WW chili recipe that I found on my new favorite website, Pinterest.com. I have been an arts and crafts making fool this past week thanks to my new obsession with the website. I have a few more recipes I am going to post here soon. It's been a great couple weeks having Bryan home from work. The circumstances were less than favorable (truck needed new transmission/engine), but I love him and I love spending time with him.

This recipe is great if you are following the Weight Watchers diet. I am just trying to eat a clean, healthy diet so I figured that this would be a great recipe. Bryan, who is definitely not dieting, enjoyed it as well. Basically this recipe would be great for anyone who likes a good chili, not too heavy but just right.

If you don't have chicken on hand you could easily use a lean ground beef or turkey.

*I lost the website link I got this recipe from so this is from memory...

3 chicken breasts (I used 2 cups of diced chicken I had frozen)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 small onion, diced
2 cans chilis and tomatoes (I only had one on hand)
2 cans of tomato sauce (I used 1 can of diced that I liquified in the blender PLUS about a cup of water to make up for the extra liquid)
1 can of corn (you can also roast a couple ears of corn on the grill or in the oven)
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
chili powder to taste (I used about 1 tablespoon)
salt and pepper to taste (I also added a little bit of garlic powder)
Cilantro (garnish)
Sour cream (garnish)
Cheese (garnish)(I used light)
Rice

Combine all ingredients (except chicken) and combine well in crock pot. Pound out chicken breasts and put in the crock pot.
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours (I cooked on high for a couple hours and low for a couple hours).
A few hours into cooking your chicken should be done. Remove it from the chili, let cool, and then shred and place back in chili.
If you are using shredded chicken like I did throw into mix about an hour before serving.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and rice (optional).

ENJOY!

Jerk Your Chicken

Hey y'all! In the car and on my way to Hilton Head CHILD FREE thanks to my lovely in-laws. I just discovered this blogger app that allows me to blog on the go.

A few nights a go I made this Jamaican jerk chicken dish. This recipe is great for company and quite the frugal recipe. I used boneless chicken thighs which really give you a lot of bang for your buck. I got 2.5 LBS for about $5.50. They are more fatty than boneless chicken breasts, but I just used some scissors to trim the fat off the chicken. You could really use any type of chicken meat you would like. If your comfortable enough with a whole chicken you can cut it up and use it for this recipe as well.


I marinated the chicken for 2 whole days in the fridge. The yummy marinade was made up of green onion, Serrano peppers, garlic, lime, and all spice. There are many varieties on jerk chicken. You can use oregano and Thyme, I just didn't have any on hand. Jamaicans actually cook this recipe over an aromatic fire, often flavored with pimento-smoked logs. I, of course, just used my handy flat-top grill. If you don't have one of these you can cook them in a large skillet or even in the oven. You can also make this recipe with pork or fish.


I really enjoyed making and eating this dish. The marinade was not quite like anything I have ever marinated my chicken in. My only negative is that it wasn't very hot at all. I omitted the Scotch Bonnet chili peppers the recipe originally called for because my store did not carry them. I used Serrano instead. Next time I will try to locate the Scotch Bonnets for a more authentic flavor. The Serranos were perfect though of you prefer something mild. I like it hot though!


Serves 4
2 1/2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
2 big bunches green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TSP all spice
2 Serrano peppers or Scotch Bonnet chilies, seeded and chopped fine (if you like it real spicy don't de-seed).
1/2 cup water
Juice from 1 lime
1 TBS salt
Pepper

Combine all ingredients except chicken and water in a large bowl.
Reserve about 1/2 cup to pour over chicken after it is cooked. It is important to do this BEFORE you add
The chicken.
Add chicken and water. Add water to preference. You don't want it too watery. Remember, natural juices from the chicken will come out too.
Cover with Saran wrap and a lid. Marinate for at least an hour, but preferably 24 hours and no longer than 48.

When you are ready to cook, heat flat-top to high and let get very hot.
Spray with non-stick or canola/vegetable oil.
Cook about 20 minutes, flipping once around 10 minutes, making sure that it is cooked throughout, no pink.
You can cover with extra marinate before flipping.

Cilantro-lime rice (tastes like Chipolte's rice)
-from Allrecipes.com
1 cup long-grain white rice (I used a brown rice variety because it's healthier)
2 cups water
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cilantro
Juice and lime zest from one whole lime.

Boil water and add rice, cook until tender. I added some chicken stock too.
Add butter, cilantro, lime-zest, and lime juice.
Serve while hot

I served mine with grilled pineapple, baked beans, and cilantro-lime rice.

Oreo Temptation and Italian Marinated Chicken

Oreo Temptation. No, it's not a dessert, it's what's going on in my house right now. Last night I was feeling awfully vulnerable as I walked by the unnecessarily large Oreo cookie display. Normally I would walk right on by without blinking an eye; it's a well-known fact that I never keep sweet snacks in the household. I could easily gorge myself for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on sweet treats.

I remember one time when I was a teenager we were on vacation, and we stopped in West Virginia to eat dinner at this really nice restaurant that was located in some old historic building. I am quite sure the menu had all kinds of expensive cuts of meat served a la carte and yummy homemade sides to compliment. I wasn't interested. I immediately spotted the dessert bar and about knocked down anyone in my path to pile my plate high with chocolate. That's what I had for dinner. That's what I wish I could have for dinner every night. But then I always remember I was born with the slowest metabolism ever. So I eat lettuce instead.

Ok, back to the Oreo story. I was walking by the forsaken Oreo display and remembered the double-stuffed Oreo I had eaten at my in-laws the previous day. I also remembered how yummy it was. I picked up a box of classic Oreos and thought what's one little box of Oreos going to hurt? Some people have a conscious that tells them not to do bad things. My conscious tells me not to eat bad things. Sometimes I don't listen. I didn't listen this time. I knocked that little sucker off my right shoulder and I'm pretty sure she fell into the bin of produce behind me. That's another thing, why would you put an Oreo display in the produce section? I mean here I am minding my own business, innocently picking out some corn on the cob, when I am bombarded by the freaking Oreo display. Now they sit in my cabinet calling my name in a not-so-subtle annoying way. I am just hoping Bryan eats them all tonight and I can wipe my hands of them. For the record I have only eaten 4 Oreos in the past 16 hours.

.

On to the feature piece of this blog post. I am hoping it will keep my mind off those Oreos for at least 10 minutes. I am all about saving time for dinner. I often plan ahead and prepare all of or some of my meal the night before. This makes dinner so much easier the next day. I highly recommend this to working families. A little prep the night before makes dinner the next day a breeze. You don't always have to use the crock pot for easy make-ahead recipes. I make a yummy homemade marinade made with olive oil and red wine vinegar for this dish. I spice it up with some red pepper flakes. You can use the store bought Italian dressing but it's SO EASY to make your own, so why not?

I love to cut up chicken and marinate them for 12-24 hours. Really you can marinate any cut of meat overnight. I also love to marinate meat for fajitas. This chicken recipe is super easy. Anyone can do it. You can use fresh chicken or frozen (unthawed first). I used organic chicken from Whole Foods that I had frozen a while back. I always buy in bulk and freeze. It's cheaper and convenient, plus it saves time. I always pound out my chicken before I freeze to make things easier.

First I prepare the marinade for the chicken to go in. I always just make it in the glass dish the chicken will marinate in overnight. Feel free to double the marinade for more people or if you just want more marinade for your chicken. After my chicken has unthawed I cut it up into small strips. Remember to always use scissors are only designated for poultry. The same goes for cutting boards. Chicken bacteria is easily spread. I actually bought a plastic basket at the dollar store that holds my chicken while it is in the sink. I set my chicken in here so it doesn't slide all over the place. I don't like to set my chicken in the sink. I always make sure I clean the area super good afterwards. I also wash my hands a lot during the process.

When I am done cutting the chicken into strips I place it into the glass dish, cover with saran wrap and a lid, and place in the refrigerator. You can marinate for an hour or so but I always like to make sure I marinate over night. I feel like it makes the flavor that much more intense. Now you can bread this chicken afterwards or you can bake it as is on a baking dish. I always like to use a rack so air gets underneath the chicken. This is especially important if you used bread crumbs. It makes the chicken more crisp if you are baking in the oven, and more importantly, it is healthier.

This picture is after the chicken had been marinated for about 20 hours. I was going to post a pic of the end result, but sometimes things get a little crazy around here with me being a mom and all. I get distracted and forget to take pictures! I promise I'll get better at remembering to take pictures all the way down to the end result;).

Italian Marinade
Lucinda Scala Quinn (Mad Hungry)
Serves 2 (feel free to double or triple)
Pre-heat oven to 350*

2 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into strips
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup plus 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 TSP dried oregano (or Italian seasonings)
1/4 TSP red pepper flakes

1) Prepare above ingredients into medium-sized baking dish
2) Add chicken and let marinate for at least an hour (up to 48 hours)
3) When you are ready to eat set the chicken out on the counter for up to an hour
4) Use tongs to place chicken on a wire-rack baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a spoon to add extra marinade to chicken if desired
5) Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until juices are clear and chicken is not pink

If you prefer to bread your chicken follow these steps after step #3 above...

Chopped parsley (or dried)
1 cup bread crumbs (I usually use 1/2 Italian, 1/2 regular)
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup romano cheese

1) In a flat dish combine above ingredients
2) Line baking sheet with parchment paper
3)Lightly dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture and lay on pan
4) Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is completely done