Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

Servings: 5 • Size: 2 thighs plus vegetables • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 347.1 • Fat: 17.0g • Protein: 31.1 g • Carb: 19.2 g • Fiber: 5.8 g
Ingredients:
 
10 (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken thighs
20 medium asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half
3 red bell peppers
1 cup carrots, sliced in half long way
2 red onions, chopped in large chunks
10 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
3 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
2 tbsp oregano or thyme
4 leaves fresh sage, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Wash and dry the chicken well with a paper towel. Combine all the ingredients together and using your hands and arrange in a very large roasting pan. The vegetables should not touch the chicken or it will steam instead of roast. All ingredients should be spread out in a single layer. If necessary use two baking sheets or disposable tins to achieve this. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

Another super yummy, low calorie recipe from one of my fav sites, skinnytaste.com.   I added a tablespoon of brown sugar when I made it, and it sweetened it up a tad that made it so the kids loved it.  You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts, but I would shorten the cooking time slightly so they don't dry out.  Enjoy!  Kim

Ginger Beer Pulled Pork Sliders

This is one of our new favorite recipes!  Such a unique and delicious take on BBQ sliders.  Sounds random....but they are gooooo--ood!  It also creates some wonderful leftovers for a couple of days.

Ginger Beer Pulled Pork Sliders

Meat:
4 lb. pork roast (we use the one from Sam's Club and cut it in half if only serving our family)
12 oz. bottle of ginger beer (you can find this at Harmon's or Trader Joe's--or you can also use a good quality ginger ale)
11 oz. can of peach nectar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
1 dozen small rolls

In a medium bowl, which together peach nectar, brown sugar, salt, garlic, pepper and liquid smoke.  Set aside.  In a roasting pan or slow cooker, place trimmed pork.  Pour the bottle of ginger been over the meat, and repeat with peach mixture. (I just mix all the ingredients together in the crock pot and then roll the roast in the mixture so it gets flavor on all sides).

Cover and bake at 300 for 4-5 hours.  If using slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 10 hours.

When meat pulls apart easily, remove and let meat rest for 10 mins.

Pull apart with forks and mix with Honey Peach BBQ Sauce

Honey Peach BBQ Sauce:
1 1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. fresh peach puree (I use frozen peaches)
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. honey
1 TBSP honey mustard
1TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (only use 1 if you want it less spicy)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan and simmer about 1 hour, or until reduced by half.  Set aside until ready to use.

Black Pepper Coleslaw:
1 head of shredded cabbage
1/4 c. shredded carrot
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
2 TBSP sugar
1 1/2 TBSP white vinegar
Approx 1/4 of an onion--shredded
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (add less for less spice)
1 1/2 tsp. honey mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except cabbage.  Stir in cabbage and mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make sliders:
Lightly toast your rolls.  Top with Honey Peach BBQ Pork and Black Pepper Coleslaw (we also love to add a slice of cheddar cheese).  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Hugs, Alicia

Asian Glazed Drumsticks

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 drumsticks • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 213 • Fat: 4.7 g • Protein: 27.5 g • Carb: 12.7 g • Fiber: 0.4 g

•8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed (I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
•olive oil spray
•1 cup water
•1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
•1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
•1/2 cup soy sauce
•4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
•3 cloves garlic, crushed
•1 tsp ginger, grated
•2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
•1 tsp sesame seeds

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8-10 minutes, until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve.  Serve with rice and broccoli.

We love this recipe, it is super yummy and great for a week night!   Kim

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Ingredients:
4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
3 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled
1/2 c. sugar
2 quarts all purpose flour (7-8 cups)
2 whole eggs
2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar. Add yeast, milk, sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter. Beat thoroughly. Let stand until light and foamy. Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well.


Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest. Meanwhile, grease a large bowl. Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. (I used the dough hook on my Kitchen-Aid to knead this for about 4-5 minutes). Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down. Turn out onto a floured board. Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled.


Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Baste immediately with butter. Yield: 5 to 6 dozen. Serve with Cinnamon Honey Butter.  

Notes: I shaped my rolls by rolling out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick, then I folded the rectangle in half, making it about 1-inch thick. I used my rolling pin and rolled over the dough, ever so gently, just to seal the two halves together. I then used a dough scraper and cut the rolls into squares and placed those on my greased baking sheet. I cut the recipe in half and I got exactly 12 big rolls and baked them for 16-17 minutes. In order to get the 5-6 dozen rolls like the recipe states, you would have to make really small rolls.

Got this off Facebook--sounds good!

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 lb. Sausage
1 T worchester sauce
1/4 cup diced green onions
8 oz. cream cheese

Brown sausage.  Stir together cream cheese, green onions
and worchester sauce.  Add sausage.  Take stems out of large
mushrooms and clean inside.  Add filling.  Bake for 15-20 minutes
or until they start to brown in 375 degree oven.  Best if baked on
on rack above the pan, so they don’t sit in liquid when baking.

Mom

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

2 lbs chicken tenders or 4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce:
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoon butter

Crush crackers. If using chicken breasts and not tenders, cut each chicken breast into 3 large pieces. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk and then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

In a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

 Mom

We like this with cream of mushroom soup instead.  I will chop up half an onion and sautee it with sliced mushrooms in butter, add a can of the cream of mushroom soup and a scoop of soup cream to put on top.  This is a very easy, fast meal to prepare.

Light Wheat Rolls

4 tsp. active dry yeast
1-3/4 cups warm water (110̊ F.)
½ cup white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 beaten egg
2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2-1/2 all purpose flour

1.    Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. 
2.      Mix sugar, salt, melted butter, egg and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture.  Stir in all      purpose flour, ½ cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3.    Turn dough onto well-floured surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. 
         Lightly oil large bowl.  Place dough in the bowl and turn to coat.  Cover with damp cloth and let rise in a warm place in double in volume, about 1 hr.  Punch down dough, cover and let rise until double in volume, about 30 minutes.
4.    Grease 2 dozen muffin cups, punch dough down and divide 2 equal portions.  Roll each portion into 6" x 14" rectangle.  Cut rectangle into 12, 7" x 1" strips.  Roll strips into spirals and place in muffin cups.  Brush tops with melted butter and let rise uncovered until double in size.
5.    Preheat oven to 475̊ and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush again with melted butter.

Mom